Ahris

The War of Liberation, as it would later be known, started primarily in two colonies: Berenwood and Lineon. The landlocked central colony enjoyed advantages of position – that is, it was connected to New Orwell, to the NE, and Prawthlesst, to the E, by only a few mountain passes and roads, all of which were collapsed during the first year of fighting. Separated from reinforcements and support, elven forces there were hemmed into a few towns and garrisons by the end of the first winter and unable to establish control over the countryside, thus enabling rebel forces to organize, train, and grow.

The colony became more of an armed camp and staging area in some parts than anything else, with many of those who’d lived in the small western communities, already displaced by the elves, choosing to move even farther west, out into The Wilds, to settle in new, although mostly temporary, camps. The towns and villages in the interior of the colony, several of which were occupied by elven forces, swung heavily toward the liberation movement, undermining governmental efforts to pacify them, and thus leaving the elves in the position of ever looking over their shoulders, and never gaining enough traction to take back key parts of the countryside.

Meanwhile, north in Lineon, a combination of factors contributed to elven troubles and colonial advantages. The Wolfen incursions from over the mountains started up again in Spring, while things were brewing in Berenwoon, and the elven response was to punish those they saw as violating settlement law, rather than dealing directly with the threat. Although Renlen, the NW-most town in all of Ahris, was not evacuated, it was garrisoned by troops and quickly became a symbol of elven oppression, rather than the standard of order and stability the elves perceived their actions as representing.

A small group of colonists, aided by a few men who wielded magic and a number of weapons and magic items reclaimed from a long-lost human empire once in control of the area, helped to organize and lead partisan attacks on the elves. These attacks destabilized the initial elven occupation, although governmental agents and informants were quite well-established throughout Lineon, resulting in many arrests, which in turn led to something of a civil war, between rebels and loyalists, in areas throughout that colony.

It was Berenwoon, however, that proved to be the critical element in what would become a pan-colonial war by the next summer, with hundreds of people making their way there to “accept the privilege” of being “granted elevation.” To be “elevated” meant to be allowed to be dunked in the enchanted pools within Crater Mountain, a site that by late winter would be locked down and protected by forces of the Liberation Army. Given its remote location the numbers who sought entry were necessarily restricted, but as word of the site spread, rebel leaders throughout the colonies sought admission for their chosen troops.

While this provided the Liberation Army, and broader rebel movement, with decisive assets in the form of arcane spellcasters, it also created internal political and social friction for the colonists, many of whom saw the Berenwoonan rebels as actively keeping a lid on something that should be available to all. The necessities of war, however, kept this friction from causing a fire – at least for the duration of the war.

Thus, a little over one year after Crater Mountain was discovered, all of Ahris, save for Teyess Minsha, the island, were in full rebellion against elven authority. New Orwell, the oldest and most settled, was the elves’ strongest base of operations. Berenwoon, by the next winter, would be effectively independent, with only a few, secret, passes open to other colonies and elven forces stuck there completely crushed. Fighters in Lineon had collapsed the bridge over the Tyragh River, cutting the colony into coastal and inland portions, and in so doing isolating the west from easy operations by the elves. The other colonies were all contested, with coastal regions generally under greater elven control, while the inland lands were either hotly contested or already lost.

Given the elves’ long view of all thing, an end, after over a year, was nowhere in sight.

Year One: Berenwoon

“It was terrible to see all those men killed, but they’d taken up arms against their own people, so what were we to do? Some of them surrendered, and of them many joined us, but the others…it was war.” – Layla Dareen, resident of Errlay and sergeant of the Liberation Army.

“I spent that winter in Waywynn, and damned if it weren’t the coldest winter we’d had in years. The elves and their lackeys took most of our wood, a fair amount of our food, and pressed us into service doing their labor. I hated them more each day, especially as they told us how much better things would be for everyone once the “reavers,” as they called the Liberation Army, surrendered. I worked for a time in the mess hall kitchen and pissed in the soup pot every chance I got." – Thomylnn Dexter, teenager from Waywynn and later soldier and then officer of the Liberation Army.

“We watched them fight their way into those buildings, and heard the sounds of the fighting from the street. Flynn and I held out as long as we could, keeping the alley dark and quiet, waiting for them, any of them, to make it out. Calathes and the Dahr had their own private guards staying with them, and I can only imagine the fight they put up – and the fight that our boys gave them. They killed Calathes, you know, and threw his body off the third-floor balcony. The Dahr died of his wounds later – I heard the elves reserved their healing magic for their own and let him bleed out. Serves him right. But I still wonder if there weren’t something else we could have done, me and Flynn, to help our guys. Don’t ever call me a hero – I came home alive.” Baxter Frayshrey, member of the decorated Breach Team at Waywynn and later commander in the Liberation Army.

“I’ll admit it: I joined the Hehlen for the pay and prestige it promised. 10 years in uniform and a steady, respectable job back in the city, or some guaranteed land sounded good to me when I was young. It wasn’t until I’d been in for a few years that the elves really turned on the colonies and started cracking down. I hated being part of that, but what could I do? Nothing when you’re in garrison, or when the elves and their magic slingers are around. There were a lot of us out there in the countryside in Berenwoon who wanted out, somehow, but just couldn’t find the opportunity. After Waywynn my platoon was out on patrol and we’d had enough. There were a few of our guys who really believed in what the elves told us, and our two elven officers were a tough pair. We were ambushed by a rebel group and I didn’t even think – I started firing at our officers and those few of ours who wouldn’t see reason. I hated going back on my oath and my word, but I felt like I’d already been betrayed by those I’d sworn myself to. It took a while before we were accepted and trusted, but I was happy to join the Army and fight for something right for once.” Burby Tekshannon, former Hehlen soldier, later sergeant in the Liberation Army.

“Rebel scum: that’s what you all are. You betrayed your allegiance to our leaders, who’ve for centuries cared for and guided the lesser, younger races on a path of civilization. Enjoy what you call your freedom now, as you descend into anarchy and bloodshed without a steady elven hand on your shoulder.” -Byshon Fenstr, former Rolay of the Scheef, currently serving a life sentence for war crimes.

the war at our doorstep

After escaping from the hidden valley and making their way back to civilization over a tough period of overland travel lasting weeks, the party learned several troubling things. First, the elves and their human troops moved into the territory and quickly arrested a number of people and executed some others. They have fully occupied Waywynn, Kane and Corwyn’s home town, and have left a smaller, but strong, force in Errlay, the town where they were arrested. Derryan, the ’burg the group first visited after coming out of the wilderness, has been paid a visit by the elves and Hehlen, but thus far have not been occupied.

Last Home was destroyed. Its people were either arrested, ran off, or were killed. The lands west of Errlay, beyond the Fairway Gap, have been declared off-limits, and all settlers on them must move to the east. Settlements in this area, including Last Home, are being forcibly removed and their peoples either arrested or forced east. Pockets of armed resistance have emerged, however a lack of organization in the short-term has hampered efforts to check the elves.

Spellcasters – the first seem in these parts perhaps ever – have made their showy mark by blasting houses, horses, and people here and there. The best estimate is that there are 5 or 6 of them, and they appear wherever they like, dropping the hammer on people as they wish.

As for Last Home, when you return there the next night, the four survivors have grown to 12, with some news of others who’ve set up shop farther to the west in the wilds. They are a mix of people, with only a few willing and in a position to offer assistance beyond taking care of the others. They are, to a person, angry, aghast, and fearful at what they saw and experienced, and are eager to have their story told, as it seems that no one knows what happened in their village.

You have a few obvious options, and there are certainly more things you could choose to do over a period of months through summer and into early fall. All of these could be done to some extent – it’s more a question of your priorities and goals.

Help Last Home’s survivors establish themselves in the wilds to the west

Get in contact with others from the east in order to get a handle on what’s happening in Errlay, Waywynn, and other places

Try to bash open that rock wall to the mountain tunnel, or find another way back to the valley

Scout areas to the east yourselves

Engage the elves in…a fight? attempts at diplomacy?

I’ve got ideas about how the elves are going to proceed, and will add that information as summary material as you start making your own plans and taking action.

Inside the “Head Shed,” the name Tenshea has given to the two-story building with the stairs and cave tunnels, you light some torches and prepare to look around some more. There are two tunnels from the ground floor and three on the second floor. Two of those upstairs are little more than widened cracks in the back wall of the building – that is, the mountainside – and are barely accessible. All five, however, go in for several or more feet and then open onto the same scene: a vast cavern, completely dark aside from what the torchlight can illuminate, reaching down into the mountain. Each of the tunnels ends either in a sudden drop-off or a small ledge, and all of them have gemstones inlaid around the openings into the large cavern. There are also sigils and runes painted and carved into the rock around those openings, and in many places inside each tunnel.

The cavern is so large that your light does not enable you to see the opposite wall, nor a bottom, A jagged, stalactite-covered ceiling is visible in the dim light above, with long, frozen-in-time drips of water as mineral tubes extending downward. The surface of the walls and ceiling sparkles with reflective minerals, and some larger crystals, mostly with a milky white appearance, are visible here and there in the rock.

In a way, it’s as if the mountain is a giant geode, bulging out slightly into the valley. Whoever made this place scraped, carved, and shaped the valley-side face of the bulge into this building, adding rock and mortar here and there to blend it with their odd, curve-intensive design style, and these tunnels provide access, at least to view, the inside of the thing. Like a geode, the inside dirty, unworked rock, with some crystal coming through here and there. Regardless, the interior is large – at least over 60 feet across and at least that deep from where the tunnels open into it.
The rest of the town is as I described, with buildings seeming to fill residential or other official roles. One thing that you both notice throughout all the runes and sigils here and there – which are far more pervasive once you get used to seeing them – is the image to the right, usually etched cleanly into a surface, and in varying sizes. It is the most common of the runes, by a slight plurality.

Once you focus your efforts on digging out the rockslide, you spend most of the daylight hours doing so, eventually uncovering an opening large enough to crawl through. back into the mountain tunnel. All five of you are able to get in there by mid-afternoon – tired, dusty, and with cut, bruised hands.

Life, albeit twisted and somewhat menacing, had aggressively returned to the hidden valley, in the form of gnarled trees and dark, oily grass. The trail, mostly dirt but with ancient cobblestones showing through here and there, winds down from the cave and the metal gate, then down a little more before splitting, with one route heading uphill to the west and the ruined town. That path is flanked to the right by a rough, rocky slope, and what looks like marshy grass on the left. The route that parallels the lake coastline winds among newly-green trees, ending in a collection of ruined walls and footings next to the lake; this is where you believe you saw some movement. Another path leads up the hill to the town from there.

The air is still and cool, and yet heavy with the smell of soil and the growth of foliage, with a strange, faint metallic scent beneath it all.

Click here for a full-sized version. Note that the water is of unknown depth; grey hexes are inaccessible (too rocky or steep); and the tan hexes between the two roads leading to the town are also inaccessible – too steep and rough. The distance from your perch outsite the tunnel to the lakeside ruins is about 1/4 mile, and just a little less than that to the town ruins.

Numbered Locations on Large Map:

Landing from outside cave tunnel

Lakeside ruins, where you think you saw movement

Ruined town, with open square in the center

Ruins on island, about 130 feet out from the shore

Slippery, slime-covered rocks sloping up from the low area next to the lake toward the town – probably hard to navigate

"That's two!"

Killed eight imps on the hillside to the east of the cave; had Tenshea head back to Errlay to get more men

Sought to draw off the imps to enable Blass and Turkel to ride by the cave and alert Last Home; resulted in Turkel’s death by blast of fire and the dispersal of a number of imps over a wider area

Attacked the cave head-on, with Flasch helping, resulting in injuries to the party before the decision was made to bolt for Last Home

Alerted Last Home to the threat; bolstered personal reputations as local heroes; helped organize the town for a combination of protection and attack

Scouted the cave area at dawn; attacked with some townies; drew out the Tall Man and, with the timely arrival of Tenshea and a team of his Regulators, killed the Tall man and the remaining imps.

The cave entrance, at dawn, looked dark as one would expect – at first. After peering inside, however, a green glow was evident, but seemingly only to Kane and Corwyn. Tenshea and his team have scouted the area around the cave, in search of scattered imps or other threats, and some have gone back with the folks from Last Home to restore normalcy to the town.

The staff that Kane is proudly carrying around is about 5 feet long and about 2" in diameter, and carved from a strong, dark wood. Perhaps the stain over it has obscured the type of wood, because you don’t recognize it. It has some dull metal inlay, twisted around the upper foot of it, and has what look like runes carved into the entire length. Similar runes are also carved into the tunnel walls, no visible as if an upper layer or coating has been cleaned away. The etched line representing mountains is still there, unchanged, but now bands of runes are above and below the line, heading into the mountain as far as you can see from outside the cave.

The others can see the runes, too, and they recognize them as such. (The idea of runic writing is widely known, but it’s comparable to our sense of hieroglyphics.) The difference here is that Kane and Corwyn can read them, whereas it’s clear that the other cannot. Would the two make it known that they could read the writing? Would the two enter the tunnel? What’s the plan of action?

From outside the cave, with the green glow from within, the runes read as if they are declaring a warning against entering the tunnel without proper preparation and without good reason.

along with somethings coming out of the mountain

The bottom of the pit seemed to be filled with an expanse of dull black fluid which turned to powder once removed from the pool

Imps, as you’ve taken to calling the shrunken beastie-men, set up a wooden frame of some sort, in which the hung what looked like a large glass globe, which they then beat on with sticks until it shattered, seemingly releasing a blast of arcane quasi-fire, which blew C&K out of the tunnel and back to where the horses were.

Later, when exploring the inside of the tunnel again, beasties attacked from the darkness, seeming to probe closer to the mouth of the tunnel. They were defeated.

After going outside again C&K were met by a 5-man squad of Hehlen, of the Scheef, (think FBI meets MIB). While trying to explain things to them another group of beasties, accompanied by a tall humanoid figure who looked somewhat like the “fire mage” from inside the “prison room” attacked from inside the tunnel. The beasties were killed and the figure retreated into the tunnel after a short fight during which the humanoid ineffectively used some kind purple fire magic.

Rolay Fenstr, commander of the Scheef team, arrested C&K for violating a list of laws and brought them back to Errlay, the nearest town to the east, where they were held overnight.

The next morning, while the Scheef troops were preparing to transport their prisoners eastward to Waywynn (C&K’s hometown, actually, and a larger settlement than Errlay), an angry crowd gathered and prevented their movement, forcing the men to release C&K.

Eglyn, the leader of the hooded men who seemed to be the animating force behind the town’s resistance to the law, agreed to send a few men with C&K and Blass and Turkel to head back toward Last Home to warn them and, before that, check on the status of the tunnel and whatever might be spewing out of it now.

Rolay Fenstr and his men trundled off in their wagon, steamed at being rebuked, and promising a “prompt and forceful response” from the law. It’s reasonable to expect that they will deliver the news to the Dahr in about a week, which means the clock is ticking down to what could be a harsh response by forces of the elves, or even some elves in fact.

C&K, with supplies, a wagon, and four others (Blass, Turkel, Flasch, and Tenshea) head off swiftly to the west, following the road they’ve traveled several times of late, trying to reach the tunnel before nightfall.

What supplies would you bring in the wagon? What are you going to try to accomplish, where, and by what means?

Upon arriving again at the mouth of the tunnel, you find some footprints beyond what you believe you left when you were last here, earlier that day. They’re around the entry, among the roots, but do not seem to go any farther onto the road.

Just before sundown a wagon driven by two men, Blass and Terkel, arrives. Blass is a cousin to Corwyn’s mother’s family, and Terkel is somewhat known to you both, give your business connections in Last Home. They’re older than you both and are solid – physically and behaviorally – and bring with them a few shovels, picks, hammers, and rough-cut/cast-off boards and beams, as well as some more rope (albeit heavy stuff – not what you’d carry around) and a cargo net, the type that would be splayed over the top of an over-full wagon.

It looks like they quickly went through a storage room and grabbed whatever they thought might be useful and headed out. They also have a cask of water and a day or two of food each, and feed for all four horses. Each man is also armed: Terkel with an axe and a bow; and Blass with a bow and spear.

“Right – so describe these things you saw in there, lad,” states Terkel after the two settle the horses and begin unpacking the wagon.

(I assume that you give them the same information and description of beings and events that you gave Tallyn Mayfair, the constable, and help them unload the supplies)

The sun has dipped beneath the peaks to the west by the time you’re done unloading, and dusk will last for maybe 45 minutes. What are you going to try to accomplish in that time, and what else are you going to do?

The finely-worked block tunnel ended with another archway, similar in style and details to the one that led into the mountain, under the tree roots. The major distinction was the lightly-glowing blocks, each emitting a dim greenish glow, barely visible alongside the torchlight. All the blocks in the arch were intact, save one, on the upper right side – it was cracked, dim as the stone of which it was made, and was partially displaced, likely by a shift in the mountain itself.

The chamber on the other side of the arch was similar to the one where the spiders had taken up residence, albeit larger, and with more ornate and prominent designs painted onto and carved into the walls, ceiling, and floor, the center of which itself was partially sunken, a step or two below hall-level, and accessed by two steps down, set into the ground just inside the room from the tunnel.

The entire circular room was about 50’ in diameter, with the domed roof about 15’ high at its apex and center. In the center 10’ of the room was a hole, with what looked like gold inlay around its lip, and on the floor spread across the entire room appeared to be a stylized map of mountains, lakes, and a coastline. On the ceiling there appeared to be constellations, stars, and other forms. There were no other doors, passageways, or means of access or egress – not that were evident – aside from the entry arch from the tunnel, and the hole in the floor.

Aside from a 6" lip around the hole, there was no furniture, nor other trappings, in the room – nothing, but a slightly warm movement of air from inside, smelling faintly of spice.

The tunnel, well-constructed and decorated in some places by line carvings representing mountain peaks, is about a mile in length, and goes roughly NW into an area, so far as you know, never explored by anyone else.

Giant spiders are a known subterranean threat throughout these mountains – their presence in the tunnel was not surprising.

The hidden valley is about 1/2 mile across at the base – at the lake level, that is. The lake is a few hundred feet across, and the ruined town/buildings to the west of the water is a several hundred feet in depth and width, reaching up the valley’s sloped wall a few stories. There are no structures, aside from the few, small ruined buildings on the island, in the valley.

You did not see any clear passes our other tunnels leading out of the valley, but given its shape and your focus during your time there, it’s impossible to be sure if there are others or not.

There is a dark hole among the ruins on the island, which can’t be seen from the town level – it was only visible from the ledge leading out of the tunnel.

The corroded metal gate is quite ornate, and still standing strong despite its seeming age and neglect. The seemingly hostile midgets did not approach it. The feeling of heaviness and pressure left you immediately once beyond the gate.

The midgets were stout, filthy, and you saw none of their features. Their hands were also within the tattered edges of their ragged garments.

You only found a few metal implements in the one building you searched, and they were heavily corroded and pitted – the gate was not like that at all. The wood was almost entirely dry pulp, with only some larger chunks here and there – as if whatever held it together had been drained or damaged.

for background

Wynshern, the largest settlement in Berenwoon, overseen by Dahr Leighton, is about 3 days away by horse. Aaldershein, the provincial capitol and home to Moizhian Leth, closer to the coast, at about 5 days’ travel. A reasonable expectation a formal response to the tunnel, if any, by Dahr Leighton could come a day or two hence from where we left off, given travel times.

something unexpected

“Durston said the Scouts confirmed it – that old tree on the north side of the pass is still there, but all the earth and rock under it’s been washed away, along with some of the trail itself. He said they could see through the old roots and there’s something like a tunnel. I heard someone else say it was stone-lined, not cave rock,” explained Erich to the group gathered in the guild hall. He’d just returned from Wynshern where he’d been conducting business on behalf of the family for a few days, and had cut short his trip to bring back the latest news.

“You’re sure it’s on the road to Ablen?” asked one of the managers.

“Yes, for certain – I overheard everything they said, and how they made their way through the roots and partially into the tunnel, which looked to pass directly through the steepside along the pass – you know, that rough cliff with the lateral crack about 100 feet up? That one,” confirmed Erich.

“And what of the other side?” asked the same woman.

“After some walk through the mountain…Aa valley – never before seen,” he answered, letting the words hang in the air as he smiled, excited by the news he’d brought.

Life among the mountains and valleys of Berenwoon

MetaBerenwoon is where our story will begin, instead of Lineon. I threw the Lineon story at you because I knew it and had run it, and decided to give it a try to see if we even liked the system. I’d prefer to begin anew, elsewhere, with a completely new story rather than relying on content and plot developed a while ago and with a different set of players. You can keep your character, at 2nd level, and we’ll built a background around him to fit in this different place, and move in a fresh direction from there.

And if you hadn’t recognized it, Ahris is a geographic analogue for the English colonies in North America in the 1760s. Lineon would be New York leading into New England; New Orwell would be Virginia, and Berenwoon would be something like where West VA and the Appalachians west of the Carolinas.

"Dry Goods" or "bads"?

Meta
The trip to Indoschan is easy, takes only a few days by the main road, and goes without incident – unless you’d like there to be an incident. You three will arrive in town without any fanfare and can go about planning and conducting your visit to the “Indoschan Emporium” as you wish. You make the decisions and the plan and implement it, and give me an idea how you think it’d go down.

Choices ahead

Upon returning to Renlen, the Sentinels refreshed their horses and themselves, and met with Yuli to share what they’d experienced and learned. The elf was her usual quirky, jovial self and Morgren and Ezra’s use of magic surprised and impressed her greatly. As the conversation wound down, she brought it up again – it was normal for her to circle back to things that had been discussed and seemingly put to rest, although this sometimes lent a scattered feel the flow of her conversation.

“I’ve been watching and following this…emergence…for a few years. The schor is all around us, of course, as always, but now it is coming within reach in ways that should not be possible – not according to the Fatheyreen, at least. And yet, it is so. Which means that either the teaching of the Lothay are incorrect for a lack of knowledge; dishonest for a desire to keep this secret; or perhaps something fundamental has changed, which would seem more like a lack of knowledge,” she says, becoming more distracted as she spoke. This was a trait she often displayed, seemingly losing track of the people around her as she spoke in more depth, with her words turning from a conversation to an inner monologue, spoken aloud.

“I think it is the latter,” she began again, this time clearly addressing the men around her. “The elves are old and know a great deal, but not everything, and things change. The land is breathing new life into the world, and it seems that with this the ways we know are being redefined. I believe that this is so, and I am hardly anyone who’s knowledge and power are noteworthy,” she says as she makes a sign with her fingers in the air and around them dance wisps of light, the makings of a tiny spell.

Looking at Ezra she states firmly, “and the Scheef will come. They will not allow the younger races to flaunt their laws,” she then paused.

“And they will not tolerate any who threaten to destabilize their reality.”

and into the distant past

Meta
I’m not going to recount the trip west, nor even the interactions with the Grik’arty, since you were all there and beyond what was accomplished there wasn’t much to that portion of the night. Spending the night in the room/tomb is another thing, and that’s what’s detailed below.

The circular room was clearly a natural cave that was improved with mortar, chisel, and block. Some of the walls are natural stone, smoothed out, and some are finely-fitted block. All of it was covered in a type of plaster and painted, long ago. The scene, after you study it more, is clear: a hero, with a powerful black horse, defeated monsters, led victorious armies, and seemed to enjoy the love of a people, and then he took a knee before a skeletal dragon and then led more armies of conquest, seemingly against the people he once protected – and the scenes seem to portray this transition in a positive light.

The ceiling also bears a scene, along with a circular path on the ground, running like a concentric loop a few feet wide, touching the walls and coming toward the center of the room. The moldered cushion sits on the only break in this floor mural. The floor mural depicts people and places that look similar to those in the early wall scenes – the ones where he was the hero of the people – but in these scenes they look conniving and devious, and the ‘hero,’ is in some of these floor scenes dressed in the garb from the early wall scenes and in some in the black, post-dragon armor. All the floor scenes have the hero with the people doing things behind his back, sometimes literally.

The ceiling scene depicts a massive battle in which it seems the skeletal dragon is destroyed, but its shade escapes. The hero escapes, too, and yet there the land seems barren, and the colors in that final part of the painting are considerably more dull than in the rest of the room. The dragon’s shade is nowhere; the hero is gone; and the land looks empty and bleak.

In all the murals there are some figures using black-steel weapons, like those that you’ve found.

You spend the night in there, with your horses, pondering what all this might mean.

Meta 2
I’d posted the text below as a player secret for Thom, assuming that he’d share it to everyone. I did not think that one, he only has a phone on which to do this, making it challenging for the amount of text; and two, that he’d have a busy week early-on. Thus, I’ve pasted it below. You’d all learn this from Morgren when everyone wakes up.

Boran Thruvayne, dragonslayer and hero of Vorhus (pronounced “VOR-hus,” with the h- pronounced…it seems that the Grik’arty’s label of the blade was a bastardization of the original, passed down through the centuries and modified to fit their language) achieved many great victories on behalf of his people. Rising from the ranks of a humble soldier to a general he defended the city-state and basically gave of himself his whole life – and near the end of that life realized he’d been used and duped by those people he protected. The line tied to this scene on the walls is “nobody wants him; they just turn their heads.” Offered power and potential immortality by the skeletal dragon “K’rdzrkch’ra the Ever-Fury,” Boran opened his eyes to the truth of the world and his life and, imbued with the vitality of youth and support of the dragon, turned back on the people who once used him. Formerly known for using his ‘iron fist,’ (the images show him punching some things with great force, as well as using a flaming sword), he was reborn as the Iron Fist.

The people of Vorus struck back and a great set of battles was fought, ending in the terrible destruction of the dragon’s physical form, and the severing of Boran’s source of power. Boran had himself sealed into this tomb where he could wait until worthy followers released him, and he could lead them to find the Blood Stone and return the dragon to this world to complete what they started.

There’s also something, on the floor and ceiling murals that depicts the people as working together to bring forth…something…that blew away the dragon and left the land bleak and empty. It would seem that Boran’s story indicates that he wants to reverse that.

Based on all of this, it seems like this is a tomb for Boran and the headquarters of his movement-to-be. There are a few images of warriors who fight alongside him, wearing those pig helmets. Additionally, it seems that the Iron Fist will lead his new followers to the Blood Stone personally, and then restore the dragon, then take over the world. In that order.

courtesy of Yuli Threshrael, proprietor

The following takes place on the morning of the second back in Renlen – you returned on a Tuesday evening; the events at the smith and information gathering about real estate and the sale/trade/turn-in of items took place on Wednesday; and so this breakfast meeting is on Thursday.

Breakfast consisted of elven flapcakes – thin, silky, and dressed with a berry compote – complemented by a light coffee, imported from Shinjan Province, homemade sausage, and goat cheese omelettes. This was certainly quality meal, far above what the three men were used to, even when they were not on the road.

Yuli Theshrael was dressed in her typical combination of a silk robe over baggy pants, and outfit that would have been utterly inappropriate given the cold weather were it not for the fact that her inn had probably the best insulation in town and boasted a double-door foyer, with one set of heavy doors leading outside and another from that foyer, which had its own fireplace! – to the interior of the inn.

The inn was separated into a few different spaces, with a large common room, a smaller dining room, the tea room, and the small library adjacent to the tea room. Breakfast was served in the tea room, an elegant space with three tables and chairs for each, where the people could meet and relax in quiet. No one else but the elf and her guests were present in the room, and the serving boy had left and closed the door after delivering the last of the meal.

The elf woman made pleasant, comfortable small talk, asking the men to tell their accounts of fighting the Wolfen, what the high mountains are like in winter, and their days spent chasing the bandit gang. The food was excellent and plentiful, and the meal and visit were going along nicely up to the point when the woman changed the direction of the conversation entirely.

“Tell me what you think of the lights on Silver Mountain,” she prompted, then took another sip of jasmine tea.

Adrift in a sea of swirling consciousness

Ezra wandered the virtually empty street, staggering as the snow fell around him. But Ezra did not see snow, for as he scanned around him the landscape of structures were blazing infernoes. He trod the ground aimlessly, ground that seemed like burning coals staggering to patches that appeared less hot and the snow that fell appeared as ashes. The voice of the balrog, Ipos, was screaming in his head, spitting insults and reminding him of who was in control.

Moments earlier Dahr Morleigh was proclaiming to a crowd of citizens of Renlen, announcing that Ezra and his friends would be givien the accolade of Sentinel. As the Dahr announced “Ezra Clay”, Ezra heard different words in his head. “Ezra Clay! Ezrayas of the great House of Tannartinu, nothus, spurius, bastardus… MISCHLING! YOUARE NO SON OF MINE!!!” Ezra saw the Dahr walking toward him with the face of his Elven Step-Father, Baron Tomas Tannartinu, the day that Tomas had figured out the horrible truth of Ezra’s birth Father. That day, Ezra’s whole body was as rigid as a piece of steel, eyes wide and fixed on the Baron. Not sure whether to break down and run away, or to scream back at him that it wasn’t his fault. At the age of eight, all Ezra could think of that moment in a closed room was that he wanted to break down the walls and run away from this bad place. As the last broach was attached, and the first huzzah sounded, Ezra walked stuntedly, hurriedly out of the gathering as the crowd swelled to gather around the heroes. He slipped between two buildings, almost an alleyway, and slid down on his butt between the buildings, staring up at the snow that had just begun to fall. He was cold, and the voice continued on his left. As he looked over, he saw the face of Baron Tomas, demonic looking, and grinning evilly. “Where will you go boy, where will you run?” Ezra put his face in his hands and whispered to himself “oh, this is not happening, this is not real, this is not happening.” but as he looked up the face was still there and quipping with more vile taunts “what are you, who are you, where are you going? You are nothing without me!” Ezra stood up, and staggered between the two buildings and burst out onto the street as the buildings seemed to begin burning. The logical side of his mind was telling him that his boots were soaked through, and he must have fallen at some point causing himself to be coated with snow and he must be so cold it felt like burning. But as he staggered down the empty street, he was not thinking logically, he was only thinking of escape. He avoided areas in the street that appeared hotter to his eyes, for he walked on burning coals, and the buildings were on fire. The demonic figure circled him as he staggered down the street “This is not happening, how can I get out, how can I be free?” The evil presence followed and cackled gleefully at Ezra, and Ezra tried to stablize himself in the firey hell, held his head up and spit in the demonic face. “I will be free!” as he walked more determinedly down the street the figure came on stronger and almost seemed to grow and the voices came on again “Nothus, spurius, bastardus, mischling, no son of mine.” Ezra stumbled and fell to his knees and put his hands to his face. As his hands fell from his face, the demonic, withered face of Baron Tomas was there “Boy, you are blind, you are too blind to see!” Ezra screamed at the old face “You cannot speak of me this way, I am good, I am worthy, I am a hero! You will pay for this, you tricked me, you tricked me into this and I will make you pay. You will NOT have my soul! YOUWILLNOTHAVE MY SOUL!” The old, withered, demonic figure of Baron Tomas cackled and looked Ezra in the eyes. Ezra could see the pits of hell swirling beneath, “Boy, let’s just be honest here, you are going to burn. Your soul is going to burn in a lake of fire” and the figure turned away as it went into fits of laughter.

Ezra looked up, and realized he had wandered to the Church of Aiomeadyn, and he roughly drew himself up and staggered through the doors of the church falling unceremoniously on one of the pews. The voices seemed to be a whisper, still in the back of his mind as they berated him “Nothus, spurius, bastardus, mischling, no son of mine.”

and some good news

Both farmsteds were, for the time being, clear of Wolfen, and again secured so that next-of-kin could claim them or the town would dispose of them per the law. The team of six, somewhat battered but alive and well, headed back to Renlen, reaching the town an hour or so after nightfall, with their wagon of evidence and single prisoner in tow.

Along the way Kit made surprising progress communicated with Gannsu, the young warrior. While he couldn’t quite make out how he might have been related to or otherwise connected with the pack leader he’d killed, Kit got the sense that he was more than just a member of the group. He was able to determine, with some certainty, the reason behind their foray onto this side of the mountains: territory was very important to them, and seemed to be one of the key elements of status, power, and wealth. The Wolfen was troubled by and impressed with the power the ‘bareskins’ had shown, and this put him in a curious position: to him, the bare-skinned races were, by definition, weak. But they’d been cut down by those ‘weak’ fighters, and that was confusing to him. He also seemed troubled by his pack leader’s breach of honor in calling on the others to attack while his duel with Kit was still on-going, regardless of the fact that he was losing. Gannsu was not at all happy to be a prisoner, but seemed resigned to his fate, whatever it might be.

Upon arriving in Renlen, the team was greeted by a growing crowd of locals who wanted to first know what had happened, and then see the prisoner. By the time they reached Town Hall there were upwards of 100 people crowding the group as they came to a halt and Dahr Morleigh and his adjutant came out on the steps to formally receive them. Some of the people jeered at the Wolfen, some spit at it, and others called for it to be hanged. Morleigh called on the crowd to calm down so that he could listen to the account of the team.

After hearing the account, in front of everyone and in the cold evening air, Dahr Morleigh had the team bring Gannsu into the jail, which was attached to Town Hall, shackled, and locked in one of two cells. A guard was posted in the next room. The crowd, not yet dispersed, was getting a little rowdy, with equal parts jubilation over the victory and a desire for revenge, aimed at the Wolfen prisoner. Morleigh, waiting in the constable’s office when the team came out from locking up Gannsu, directed them to go back outside. “We have another piece of business to conclude,” he stated firmly while motioning the team outside.

Dante, his adjutant, adroitly arranged the six men on the front steps of the building, and whispered to Ghut, Mutch, and Willis separately from the other three as Morleigh, wearing his formal mantle and now hat, stepped to the fore and addressed the crowd.

“Our fair village has been of late the victim of several assaults and affronts. We have lost people; we have lost coin and supplies; and we have suffered damages to our prosperity and peace,” he called out in his resonant voice. For a moment he went on to describe the loss of the mountain caravans, the months of mounting attacks by the bandit gang, and this most recent attack by the Wolfen.

“Our village, a mere two generations old, has not experienced such threats before, nor have we suffered such losses in such a short period of time. In times past, in the Old Realm, an honor and responsibility was given to those who had, by their own motivation, dedication, and acts shown that they had taken up the burden of protecting others in times of need, for no other reason than their brotherly affection toward their fellows and their desire to see justice done and decency and peace promoted.” He stopped for a moment to let the people consider his words and perhaps recall their knowledge of history before continuing.

“By the authority vested in me by our colonial leadership, under the benevolent rule of King Gudrow and the Executive Council, and the trust extended to me by Moizhian Ethrey and the provincial authority of Lineon, I hereby appoint ”/characters/kithcanen-wraithwind" class=“wiki-content-link”>Kithkanen Wraithwind, Ezra Clay, and Morgren Alaster as Sentinels of Renlen, the first to receive this honor and responsibility for our home. I have no doubt that they will bear the burden well and will continue to serve as examples of what one can do for another, and how the few can stand on behalf of the many." As the echo of his last words died, Dante produced three broaches, handing them to Dahr Morleigh one at a time as he then pinned them on each of the men and shook their hands. The broaches bore the symbol of the town, a mountain peak with a small farm at its base. The broach was the same worn by the handful of town officials, and would be taken as a symbol of some office.

The crowd, surprised, excited, and still energized by the news from the farms, erupted into applause and shouts of “Huzzah!”

Meta
The ‘office’ of Sentinel is an old one, but it’s not really an office at all. It’s an honor reserved for those who’ve demonstrated uncommon commitment and service to a town, and it’s usually only bestowed on non-Hehle as a result of some unusual acts of service. It entitles the bearer to a degree of access to local officials, although the extent to which is not formally defined, and it somewhat akin to receiving the key to the city and a military medal wrapped into one. To your knowledge there have only been a few Sentinal badges awarded in the colonies, and none in Lineon – none that you’ve heard of, at least. It’s a big social boost, and confers the benefit of access to well-placed officials and citizens, generally the ability to ask for support – material and otherwise – when needed, and have it be considered, and also puts the responsibility of being ‘on call’ when things go south.

And remember the questions from the end of the session:

Will you investigate the Wolfen further?

Will you do anything about the lights on Silver Mountain?

What will you do about the cursed helms?

How about Maerith?

What else might you do regarding the crooked Dahr of Indoschan?

And what about that map of the ruins (which I’ll create and post somehow)

"that boy is as crooked as a set of stairs"

Dahr Morleigh had accepted the private meeting with the four freelancers only because of their past contributions to the town’s safety, and their standing in the community because of them. Normally private citizens with no connections within the Hehlen would have had no chance of meeting with the Dahr – any Dahr – under such circumstances unless summoned. Unusual as this was, Morleigh had granted their request to meet, without even his personal secretary, and then listened to their account of things, asking no questions during their presentation. They’d each given statements that they all agreed they’d swear oaths over if needed, presented and explained Een’s ledger, and showed samples of armor, weapons, and other equipment used by the gang. The involvement of Dahr Ahnoffer, Indoschan’s constable, and the owner of the general store was all made explicit and supported with evidence both physical and anecdotal.

Morleigh sat, fingers steepled, brow furrowed, and closed his eyes for a few, long moments after they finished. Inhaling deeply and slowly, he looked at the four men and motioned for them to sit.

“You are accusing a Dahr – an executive member of the Hehlen – with a variety of crimes, all of which are compounded by the alleged use of the office as a cover for them,” he said with a rising tone at the end, as if to ponder it as a question.

“You are willing to take an oath and undergo legal examination, if required, as part of any investigation that may ensue, fully understanding that the nature of these accusations and the parties against which you level them could make this a public sensation, and you along with it,” he said, this time as a firm statement.

“Am I correct?” he asked clearly, stone-faced and without a hint of what he was thinking

Meta
You all know that serious accusations typically involve sworn statements and what amounts to questioning by state lawyers and investigators and the like. This might be done in a public setting or not – it depends on what the investigator wants. The Elves, however, don’t screw around when it comes to the determination of guilt and meting out of justice – to do otherwise would get in the way of maintaining order. Thus, if this goes anywhere it’s not going to be some dreadful OJ trial or whatever – they’d get to it and peel back the layers (and maybe some fingernails, too) and be done with it.

delivering the goods and news

It took a week to reach Renlen, given the ponderous pace at which the wagons moved on the game trails and the fact that it snowed for two days once the team reached the main road. Three wagons, additional horses, and a group of only four able men plus one teenage girl made for tough work rotations. The broken wheel on one of the wagons on the third day out didn’t help, either.

Once over the Bremervar Hills – a low divide that runs east-west about a day south of Renlen and from the northern slopes of which one can see the distant town on a clear day – the team ran into a few travelers on the road, and passed a few farmsteds that form the southern extent of the greater Renlen area. Exchanging pleasantries and brief news is customary on the road, and one farmer, Murryn Bechtal, recognized Kit and the others and made sure to stop and talk for a bit, sharing the latest from the last few weeks during which the team had been away.

The town was in a state of alarm, and had been for several days, after it was confirmed that two northern farmsteds had been attacked, ravaged, and the families slaughtered. Smoke from the burning buildings, some miles apart, had alerted the town guard, and a combination of Watch members and volunteers found the terrible truth. The only clues were clawed tracks in the snow and several long, rough arrows found in bodies and walls. Scoffers held their tongues now at the stories of the ‘Wolfen’ from the other side of the Sconays, as it seemed the beasts had come south of the mountains in search of more prey.

Upon reaching Renlen and reporting to Dahr Morleigh, the team was relieved of the wagons and supplies, and congratulated by the town’s leader. Again, their deeds would be put into the official chronicle, and Morleigh saw to it that news of what they’d done was made public in order that other residents could offer their thanks and wealthier citizens could reward them, as was the custom. Morleigh was also interested in anything they knew about the Wolfen, as they now seemed an immediate threat, although they’d not attacked anything in the days since their work had been discovered.

Meta
The owner of the horses you’ve been using will happily take five of the eight additional ones you have in trade for the four he’d loaned you – his are better animals, and so the imbalance is fair. He’ll then buy the other three from you for a total of 100GP, if you’re interested. Given that it’s winter and business is slow overall, these are fair prices and valuations. The wagons and supplies are turned over to the local government, as is the norm in situations like this. Being entered into the official chronicle is a social honor and can, over time, grease the skids to economic and political favor, as well.

Maerith is a question mark. She’s an interesting girl – a little too glib and wannabee-worldly for her age (16), and a little too much (physically) of a woman than a father would hope her to be. She’s probably gotten herself in trouble for those traits more than once. Your sense is that she really was kidnapped, and then tried to make something of an adventure of it. Two months of doing dishes, scrubbing clothes, and being the camp pump, however, got old really quickly. She’s at something of a crossroad, perhaps, bearing equal measures of shame, a desire for normalcy, and a native wild streak that could either serve her well or be her undoing. What do you do with her?

The revelation about Dahr Anhoffer and his stooges, and the evidence to support it, is another issue. What do you do about this?

The issues of Maerith and Anhoffer are ones that I’d assume you’d discuss and think about as you traveled north to Renlen, and I assume that you’d be subtle about discussing what to do about Maerith if you chose to be that way. The Wolfen attacks, obviously, are news to you upon arrival.

and what of the crooked Dahr?

Meta
This picks up right as Morgren is trying to explain away the fact that he drew a dagger on Renli and the group is considering where to go next and what to do. The previous post was getting really long with comments so I decided to start another one. Take it away!

Renli picks up the other helmet and drops it in the fire, too. “There! Anyone want it and you can get blisters for it. Tomorrow when they cool I’ll take them and I’ll see that they’re properly disposed of,” the dwarf growls at everyone and no one.

...for the most part

After defeating the RBB team in the hills among the game trails, and seeing the ‘Iron Fist’ fly away on a midnight-black steed, the team interrogated Abel and Bihley, getting from them the full admission of the gang’s operations, leadership, base location, and future plans.

Een, their leader, and his two buddies, Riyt and Teriff, claimed to have found some spot to the distant west where they could all start a new, free settlement that would make them all rich. Near a vast lake and in the vicinity of ancient ruins, they said, they’d be free, powerful, and rich beyond their dreams. Banditry, therefore, was only a means to an end: that of collecting enough supplies and support to make the great journey. Een claimed that the Iron Fist had invited them, and the silent thing’s appearance and assistance now and again made Een and his two friends the alphas of the group for sure – the other feared them all, and hoped the promises of a better future were worth all the trouble.

Cyrus Ahnoffer, the Dahr of Indoschan, was for whatever reason complicit in the banditry, giving information now and again to the gang, in trade for them doing business with him in the form of the stolen goods. His magistrate and the owner of the local supply store were part of the con, as well, and Een had kept good enough records to blow the lid off the whole thing – if those papers got into the right hands.

The team let the two bandits go, per their agreement, and truly hoped to never see them again. Heading north to the actual camp, they found the sentry, as they’d been told, and started the fight they expected to have. The Boys rode out of the hideout and engaged the team, and a pitched battle, with serious damage done to Morgren, ended with the deaths of all six of the remaining River Bottom Boys, including Een, who’d been paralyzed by one of Renli’s spells, and then torn apart by Kit’s spirit bear.

Maerith, the kidnapped ginger, seemed both surprised and somewhat relieved to have been rescued, but the depth of her honesty was debatable. Who knew…gingers are all nuts, anyway, so it was entirely possible that she didn’t even know.

Along with three heavy wagons and enough draft horses to pull them, the team also found several barrels of food supplies, furs, a number of tools, some basic building materials, and other supplies for the sort of expedition that they’d been told the Boys had been planning. Additionally, the three pieces of magic were recovered:

+1 scimitar, with the ability to force a target upon a successful hit to make a DEX save vs. DC12 or be knocked prone, 2/day. The blade is gun-metal grey and dull in color

2 +1 helmets that also grant the wearer Darkvision to 60’ – these are both of an odd design that looks slightly pig-like, with lower tusks attached.

In addition to the wagons, horses, supplies, and equipment and weapons collected, a total of 650GP worth of various coin was recovered, and 500GP worth of various gems. How much of the coin and gems were stolen is unknown. All the coin is in Realm currency.

The cave and camp were well-hidden and would make for a good base of operations for this area, halfway between Renlen and Indoschan.

in Shinjan colony

The news came in a short burst initially, and then in the weeks afterward more details were added, corrections made, and what was generally accepted as the actual account was weaved into the fabric of the colonies. A Realms Special Detail, led by the Elven War Wizard Calathes, was sent into the great southern swamp to investigate a strange, persistent fog and the disappearances of several locals, and deep within the tangled bogs and cloying mists they found several threats, the greatest of which was a black dragon making its new home.

The black had likely come from the west, as its arrival went unseen and was certainly recent. It had felled a number of trees to make a relatively secure nest for itself, and was, either intentionally or not, attracting serpentine followers: both natural snakes and lizards in vast quantities had descended on the swamp, and a pair of snake-headed men, never before seen, were caught and killed by the Realmsmen. Several trolls were also encountered and destroyed, and the team found evidence of other trolls in the area as they returned from the swamp. One member of the team, a dwarven Hehlen, was killed when the dragon fell on him after he struck the killing blow.

The swamp has been declared off-limits to private exploration and all settlement due to the dangers that clearly exist within. There is some grumbling about this among the populace of Shinjan and some traders who were factors for various plants and other materials brought from the massive expanse, but the Realm has set aside the area for future exploration and pacification by Realm efforts only.

Meta
We ran three combat encounters: 2 PCs vs. 3 monsters; 2 other PCs vs. 2 monsters; and all 4 PCs vs. one dragon. Each encounter went well, felt different, and the mechanics of 12th level were smooth and easy, keeping the pace up.

As for any story fluff you might pick up on, the norm in such matters is that the elf is in charge and the rest of the group is hand-waved away as just “Hehle” (that is, plural of Hehlen, the non-elven service). It’s not that they don’t rate; rather, it’s that the Elf does, and it’s therefore the elf that matters.

rough stuff in the swamp

The news was troubling and only served to add to the general sense of unrest among the scattered villages and hamlets. The mist the shrouded the great swamp had grown again, edging slowly eastward. The few farmsteds that had been enveloped over the last few weeks hadn’t been heard from, and those that were close to the eastern edge of the cloak of grey were deserted, the residents’ whereabouts unknown.

The warm, clammy mist grew suddenly, overnight, claiming another hundred yards of trees and grass beyond the edge of the swamp. Noises echoed strangely from within, and most animals had fled the area entirely.

Most animals that is, aside from snakes, which seemed drawn to the mist and the boggy lands it seemed to seek to blanket.

Note: Shinjan in the southernmost of the colonies in Ahris, roughly akin in terrain and climate to South Carolina or Georgia.

Meta
You’re the Big Damn Heroes, and it’s your job, as the highest-level PCs in the quadrant, to solve this problem. You’ll start off with one PC each, we’ll play an encounter, then you’ll switch to another PC, and play another encounter. Then we’ll pick up with you having 2 PCs each – with which you’ll be familiar – for the big awesome boss fight.

in search of trouble

The cold, dry morning dawned and brought with it welcomed sunlight and some warmth, albeit filtered through the snow-covered canopy of trees. The four men continued following the game trail through the woods, into increasingly hilly territory, and over a few frozen brooks and streams. After a few hours of travel and the terrain going generally into higher hills, the trees break and the group finds a small valley, hidden among the may hills and low ridges.

After skirting the upper edge of the valley in search of a good, open trail to move through it the team descends into the valley, wherein sits a large copse of trees and what looks to be a small lake within. When the party is partway down the shallow slope, a glint of metal reflects off the mid-morning sun from the woods to the west in the valley, and immediately thereafter comes a shout.

“Oi! Aye there! I see you’re in our valley!” comes a gravely voice from the woods. As the shout’s echoes die, there comes an deliberate shuffling sound to the rear-left, where movement among a heap of boulders and brush can be seen.

“You either outran our scouts or you killed’em, so you’re a presenting a problem for us…what are we to do with you?” the same voice challenges.

Meta
You’re on a shallow slope, in the open by a hundred-some feet in every direction, with woods to the front (west), a jumble of boulders to your left (south), the hill down which you’re riding to the rear (east), and light brush, a few trees, and a frozen stream to your right (north).

2-0

The ambush had been well-planned and would have worked against less prepared and skilled travelers. The constable and store manager were happy enough about the deaths of some of the bandits and capture of what seemed to be a more senior member of the group. They were also understandably relieved that the River Bottom Boys had decided to leave the town mostly alone of late.

The banker, having lost his niece to kidnapping by the gang a few months ago, held out little hope and in retrospect seemed to be the happiest to see the adventurers and hear their offer of help. Still, aside from his blessings and goodwill, he could offer nothing but the promise of the reward, should they find and return his Kaitlynn alive.

Kit’s skill in the wilds enabled them to find the game trails that it seemed the bandits had used the day before to move unseen alongside the roads, and between the two major highways in the area. The team’s night in the woods was interrupted by bandit watchers who’d either stumbled upon them by coincidence, became alerted to them when the adventurers strayed into their territory, or perhaps even followed them from earlier in the day. It seemed that the bandits had no initially intended to engage and had only done so when Ezra and one of them had locked eyes in the moonlight, giving up their positions.

The three bandits had leather armor of decent quality, plus their weapons, all of average quality. As with the group from the day before, they carried little coin or other wealth, which made sense if they were operating from some fixed (or relatively fixed) position or base somewhere.

Dark, cold, and now silent: the four men stood among the trees alongside a well-traveled game trail, certain that they were truly alone this time. Where to go next?

in search of trouble

The journey to Indoschan will take about 3 days on horseback if the weather stays as it’s been – cold and generally clearly. The town is about half the size of Renlen, and offers stores and other services through which you could resupply, so you’ll need to decide if you’re going to take enough food for your entire excursion or just enough to get to Indoschan.

The terrain around the town is hillier than around Renlen, which on a relatively flat plain that leads to the foothills of the Sconays. Indoschan, on the other hand, is much farther from the large mountains and in a somewhat rugged area of forests, streams, and a few gorges, but no actual mountains.

The town is run by Dahr Ahnoffer, a human member of the Hehlen who was posted to the town less than a year ago after the death of the previous Dahr. None of you know much about him other than what could be expected: he’s a career bureaucrat working for the elves. To some that’s a mark of pride; to others it’s proof of his status as an opportunistic stooge – with the latter view being in the minority overall, but more prominent west of the river.

Meta
Sketch out your plan for supplies, goals, and methods for your journey south so that when we meet we can jump right into things. And remember: you’re all 3rd level now. This will be the last AL post before the next session.

baby, it's cold outside

Meta
Use this post to formalize a month’s worth of downtime activities, with what’s listed below as the starting point.

You’re sheltering in Lieux’s House of Wares, and it’s not costing much because you’re trading some work around the place for the lodging. Food costs, of course, and I’ll figure out how much and will post it as a comment here.

Ezra has contracted with the local blacksmith, Tewey, to restore the gladius found in the tomb, and make a nice breastplate for him, too. The sword will cost 5gp to restore, and the breastplate will cost 400GP. He offers to make a chain shirt, which will only cost 50gp, but he’ll take the job for 400gp if you’ve got the money. As for some training, he’s cagey about this, as he isn’t fond of apprentices, and anyway, they work for their wage, which is learning. He’ll take money, thank you.

Kit spends a few days here and there exploring areas SE of Renlen in search of bandit activity.

I assume that both Ezra and Morgren would spend time practicing martial skills, and probably sparring with each other.

Renli is in high demand in the church, and attendance at services is up, along with donations to its coffers.

a harsh winter storm slams the region

The day after the caravan’s return to town a short ceremony is held to mark the work and sacrifices of those who were involved. Dahr Morleigh gives a short speech, eulogizes the dead, and formally adds the names and deeds of the crew to Renlen’s official ledger. For the leaders of the expedition a reception and feast are held that night at his personal residence, and prominent citizens shower the men in thanks, praise, and in some cases gifts. All are put up at the Last Bastion, the nicest inn in town, for the night, and given good food and all the fine treatment and services available there.

The next day dawns slowly, with heavy clouds obscuring the sun for most of the day, and bringing with them a steady snow, which lasts for three days. By the time it abates the town is blanketed in a solid coat of white and the Sconay Peaks are covered entirely in heavy snow. On the fifth day the sun shines through clearly for the first time over the winter landscape, giving only slight warmth through the crisp, dry winter air. The temperature is about 20 degrees lower than it had been only two weeks before, and it’s obvious to everyone that winter has set in.

Based on conversations at the ceremony and reception, and general knowledge of the town and region, the following issues are known:

There is concern over the ‘Frost Men’ and what threat they might present, and this is more pressing than the Wolfen, as it is likely that the snows will keep them away until Spring. Given the lack of knowledge of the ways of the Frost Men, it’s unknown as to whether or not they’ll come down into the lower elevations, where some farms and a mill sit, because of the snows. No one knows, although there are plenty of old rumors now given life by proof of their existence. How this will be handled – passively or actively – is also up for debate, with some arguing for further, strong reconnaissance of the mountains to varying degrees to test their plans and resolve. And while most people accept the Frost Men as a real threat or at least a challenge, there is definitely some skepticism – expressed respectfully – over their magical left eye snow blast. C’mon…maybe it was just a some trick, right? Surely. The yeti they can accept more easily than a magical eye blaster.

The Wolfen threat is virtually unknowable at this point, since all that is clear is that Amaschat has been burned, and that they are violent and at least somewhat intelligent. And, they are hopefully stuck on the other side of the mountains for Winter. But what if they decide to come over the pass? What if their mounts and motivation carry them south? Some people are more concerned about this boogie man than the more concrete Frost Men.

News from the east of the river – that is, from the more developed side of Lineon – is varied and provokes different responses. First, word is that Moizhian Ethrey, the colony’s leader, is back from the Old Realm after being there for several months. She recently presided over a large ceremony confirming the Realm’s victory in its long war and with that great achievement a ‘New Age of colonial development,’ soon to commence. She is generally respected by the socio-political establishment, and known for her firm, dispassionate leadership – very Elven. One thing definite that was announced is an upcoming tour of her chief lieutenants throughout Lineon, meeting with the various Dahrs here and there – sounds like an inspection tour to some, or a chance to show off for the locals to the higher-ups. Word is that the tour will start next Spring, as things slow down a lot during Winter.

A few land owners who control a number of farms outside of town complain about bandit activity, attributed to the ‘River Bottom Boys,’ a group of highwaymen who have hit travelers and remote homes and farms for the last year or so. They’ve also created similar problems for the (smaller) towns of Indoschan (south) and Derryn (east).

discovering a secret of the mountains

I’m writing this as a meta-style summary instead of narrative, as I think if I went with that the post would be really long.

The caravan left at dawn, while Kit, Morgren, and Ezra stayed behind at the rockslide site to act as the rearguard. This was decided after Kit found Wolfen prints in the snow up the pass from the camp during the night. Not long after the caravan departed the three were attacked by three Wolfen who fixed them in place with arrows while two others snuck around to one side, up a hill, and then attacked from the flank.Four of the five attackers were killed, and then a group of 10 Wolfen, riding their mutant wolves, came barreling out of the pass. The team made a hasty escape on horseback, with Ezra blasting away at snowy hills trying to start avalanches, with some success.

The wolves were faster, and after a few twists & turns down the path it was clear they would catch the PCs shortly. Kit pointed out an overhang of snow coming up, and Ezra blasted it, even though it’d cause a collapse in front of them, blocking their escape. They did it anyway, jumped off their horses, and took off across the difficult, forested terrain. The horses ran off and the Wolfen were bogged down in the collapse.

After almost a day of easterly overland travel, and Kit noticing ancient remnants of trail sign, rock piles, and other signs of habitation, they came upon a clearing in which there were some ancient, collapsed walls and the footings of a few stone buildings. from this clearing was a sheltered path that led to a narrow draw of a valley, in which there were seven small caves – three along each long wall and one larger entry at the far end. Upon entering the canoe-shaped draw, seven human skeletons emerged and attacked, followed moments later by a minotaur skeleton. The fight was tough and draining, with Kit being dropped by the minotaur, and Ezra and Morgren working hard to save him and dispatch the large skeleton.

In the larger cave the found a tomb, which of course they dug up, and in which they found a single human skeleton, wearing what they eventually figured out was a mithral chain shirt and a Cloak of Protection +1. It also had a tarnished, but well-made gladius, which if given some TLC by a weaponsmith might make a good light melee weapon. The chain shirt also has the quality of protecting the wearer from the cold. While wearing it you don’t need to make any saves vs. cold temperatures, and you have resistance (1/2 damage) against Cold damage.

In that tomb and among the other six were also a number of gems and some ancient coins of various metals. The gems are probably worth a few hundred GP, but you’ll need someone to assess their value. The coins are worth a few hundred GP, too, if only for the metal – but they might be worth more to a collector. No one’s seen anything like them.

Ezra took down detailed drawings of the script and some weathered images from the larger tomb walls, as well – maybe there’s someone they could find who could help decipher them.

Finally, overnight it snowed a lot, and this snow had a strange, sparkly aspect to it, and when it accumulated on the men created a slight silvery sheen, which then seemed to get on their skin and either dry or sink in over time. The identification of the items came from an odd experience that the three men shared, as individuals: they got either headaches or dizziness, and could perceive something weaved into the items that went beyond sight. None of them could tell what it was or where it came from, but it happened to each of them.

They took the next day to move as quickly as they could to the south and lower elevations, and were watched by the blue men as they did so, moving out of the snowy areas just in time. Kit was confident that they could, if they moved quickly, catch up with the caravan before it made it back to town.

or There and Back Again...and Again...

After the teams rejoined and prepared for the night, Kit, facing away from the fire as was his custom in hostile territory, listened intently to his comrades recounting of the events of the previous day. Absently rubbing his shoulder he offered what happened on the other side of the mountain pass.

“Whilst transferring the oak from the damaged wagons to the new, we were set upon by a group of these Frost Freaks. Spirit of the Forest! Seriously, who spews frost from an eye?!? Talk about a ‘cold look’! Anyway, they were content to just watch us for nearly an hour. They waited ‘til we had our hands full and sprang from the trees. Timnil staggered and the stack of planks he was carrying fell right on him as he went down, an arrow still quivering in his face. Two came from behind Yurgen and myself and one’s spear thrust came at me. We dropped the planks and I twisted at the last second, but the spear scraped up my shoulder. Yurgen drew his axe and managed to cleave the spear haft of the second Freak. A horn hooted short blasts from within the trees and the attackers growled in frustration, but turned and retreated into the forest under some bow cover. We hunkered down behind the piles of lumber until the arrows stopped thunking into the planks, but it was then that the howling started…

Yipping and barking from both mount and rider the Wolfen dogs and their mutts came charging up into bow range flinging arrows in our general direction, but not hitting much of anything. Several of us returned fire. Brynn managed to stick an arrow into one of the three scouts’ arm, of all places, which rendered him useless at range. The scout leaders’ worg stumbled with a shaft in his rear haunch and that was apparently the last straw. They yipped, howled and limped their way back down the icy road from whence they’d come.

After checking on Timnil, we loaded up the rest of the wood, putting his body atop the first load. We bandaged the other wounded and pushed hard to get back to you guys. I figured you’d probably be getting harassed too."

The ranger paused as if reflecting over the last few days then tells the others, “Yurgen and I will take first watch tonight. We’ve lost some good men in this endeavor. We have over-extended our reach into the ‘wild edge’ and we’ve paid a heavy price for it. Life is cheap to some. Timnil has a wife and a baby girl. She will have to face this winter by herself. Alone she will care for her child. To look upon her face will be difficult when I help put her beloved in the ground.”

The ranger turns back to his companions, he holds a mostly carved figure of a Frost Walker in his hands. “Brothers, most of life’s events are beyond our control, some we have the power to change, and still others we should never let come to pass!” With a low, guttural growl he hurls the carving into the flames and moves off to relieve the others standing guard.

In the offices of Moizhian Ethrey

The elf sat and listened to her advisors as they discussed the various reports they’d presented during the meeting. There was so much to consider, sort through, and make decisions about. There were disputes over fishing licenses along the northern coast, especially between fleets from Lineon and Taynsel. There were confirmation hearings related to appointments into the Hehlen across the province, and a few disciplinary actions, as well. Her own report on the latest dispatches from the Old Realm also factored in, with an immediate need to find temporary housing for the troops that would arrive over the next few months. Those, in addition to a seemingly endless heap of small legal, procedural, and economic issues needed attention.

Ethrey held up her right hand, middle and index fingers only extended, giving the signal to her council that she was about to speak. Silence quickly followed.

“We have much work to do, and one piece of this business that I wish to resolve now is that of planning for how we will apportion, assign, and utilize the troops being sent to us. This is a bigger issue than bickering fishermen, would you not agree?” she posed to the group, her tone somewhat weary. Those around her relaxed at the clarity they’d been provided. The bureaucracy and local leaders would sort out the little issues while they would be left the important and complicated task of deciding how to use the regiment that was being sent to Lineon.

“Our task is to ensure that order is provided throughout the colonies, and the troops are being sent for that purpose. I believe that a token presence, in support of the city constabulary, will be adequate for Marstabashan and the immediate area. The Eastern Valley should receive increased patrols in order to calm the worries of the people and show them that their government is as it has always been. As for those areas west of the river…” she stopped in mid-sentence and let the others think while she looked each of them in the eyes.

Ezra, Renli, Morgren and Durphyn arranged their positions so as to provide both good fields of view and adequate concealment. Between the four of them they could see deeper into the pass, toward Renlen, and across the steep valley to the south. The peaks above them to the north, they hoped, were too high and steep to enable an approach from that direction, and so they put their backs to those hills and settled in for what they hoped would be a boring, cold day.

Within an hour, however, this hope was dashed by the appearance of three of the blue-skinned mountain men: one hiding in the woods up the trail, one on a hillside down the trail, and one on the hillside across the valley. All three were concealed, and it was only their movement now and again, over a period of some 30 minutes, that enabled the four men to pick them out.

Morgren, trying to get closer to one of them, crept through the brush and rocks aside the trail and made his way across the road unseen. As he closed on the watcher to the north, Ezra made an overt move to try and instigate a peaceful interaction with the watchers, stepping out of his hiding spot and walking down the hill toward the trail, with arms wide open, making his presence and knowledge of the far watcher clear.
As Ezra reached the bottom of the hill a great roar echoed off the valley walls and surrounding hills, accompanied by sounds of smashing and crashing from the chasm to the south. From over the cliff came, at surprising speed, a great, while, shaggy-haired beast, which roared again mightily and bounded toward Ezra, who blasted it with an sphere of crackling darkness.

Morgren pounced on the man hidden among the trees, putting his sword to his neck. “Call it off!” he barked as the blue man tensed and turned to face him.

“What makes you think I can?” the stranger replied in even, heavily-accented Common before letting loose with a blast of ice from his left eye, staggering and momentarily blinding the Rogue.

Meanwhile the Yeti closed on Ezra, howling and roaring along the way. The half-elf backed up slowly while blasting it again. Over the next few moments, action was a blur – Durphyn fired on the Yeti; Morgren’s quarry escaped into the woods and the Rogue dashed to Ezra to attack the beast. Sword, bow, and spell blasted forth, concentrated on the white monster until it dropped dead in the snow, charred and bloody. The team took some damage and would need some rest, with Renli’s healing powers speeding the process of recovery.

The blue men disappeared into the rough terrain…only to return an hour later in greater numbers, two from the north and three from the south. This time the moved forward and began raining arrows down on the team, eventually killing two of the four horses before Ezra and Morgren killed one of the two to the north, and Morgren disabled the other as he tried to flee. Renli, channeling the power of Aiomaedyn, elevated his voice to a deep baritone, bouncing it off the peaks and cliffs around them, seeming to bring the wrath of the Father Over All down on the blue men, who turned and fled.

After performing some first aid on their prisoner, they interrogated him, learning little beyond the powerful sense that his people never had, would not, and do not tolerate outsiders on their lands – and that it seemed that “their lands” meant areas that were deep in the snows of winter. After Renli’s calculated use of magic to intimidate and persuade, and Ezra’s frank negotiations, the man agreed to advocate on their behalf for a two-day window of activity in the pass, so long as winter did not bring the deep snows to this point before that time. He would ask that his people leave them alone until then.

They also learned that the blue man knew of the ‘Wolfen’ attack on Amaschat, and that it seemed that the wolf-men had tangled with his people recently. With that, he took his gear and left, quickly disappearing into the woods and snow.

Durphyn butchered the two dead horses while the others warmed themselves by their fire, and all waited on the return of the wagons.

Later in the afternoon, just as the sun dipped below the western peaks, they caught sight of Kit trotting forward on this horse, and soon behind him they saw the first of the wagons, driving as hard as they could back toward Renlen. Although some 100 yards or more out, the four men could see that the others had been in a fight, with some men laid out on the wagons, and possibly Bolin, or another, either laid across his saddle or slumped over it – shadows and distance prevented any more detail.

At least they’d made it back this far, and none too soon, as the last light of the day illuminated clouds that were sure to bring heavy snows within days, possibly even tomorrow.

splitting the party by necessity

The caravan consisted of five wagons with a crew of two each and pulled by four horses each, and four riding horses. Morgren, Kit, and Ezra rode alongside sometimes in front of the teams on horseback, and one other rider, a teamster security guard named Bolin, provided an extra set of eyes.

Upon arriving at the landslide blocking the road, and discovering the spear stuck in the road, Volo, the leader of the teamsters, reminded everyone of their core mission.

“We need to get that wood. I don’t need to explain what that means to the Guild, and the coffers of Renlen. We need to focus on bringing all of it back,” he stated in a firm, no-nonsense tone. His crew was ready with shovels, picks, and boards to surmount at least part of the rock pile in order to get the wagons across, and got right to work.

Kit knew that scouting for security would be critical if they were going to get their work done quickly, and so he, Ezra, and Morgren ranged forward on horseback to check on the status of the abandoned wagons. Within 90 minutes they’d returned: the wagons were still there, complete with their cargo, and there were multiple booted footprints around them, and leading off into the woods and rough hills. Upon their return, as daylight faded, Kit also found tracks around the collapsed pass – these were days newer than those around the lost wagons.

“I will accompany the wagons forward to recover the wood, while a team stays behind to ensure that this pass stays open enough for us to escape,” Kit informed the group. They’d stay the night here and the men would continue working, in shifts, through the darkness to clear enough of a path to get the wagons through. Once that was open Kit would lead them to the other site while Ezra, Renli, Morgren, and Durfin, a teamster man-at-arms, stayed behind to keep their escape route clear.

Keeping the hastily-cleared pass open would be critical to their escape, and those staying behind knew this, considering it as the last of the wagons trundled out of sight in the early morning twilight.

Told to a group of children and others at an annual festival, years in the future

“…yes, that’s when we first learned of the Wolfen, when they burned Amaschat,” the storyteller explained to those gathered around him in the cooling air of the summer night.

“Our riders found them on the other side of the pass, and to their great dismay saw that the trading post and surrounding farmsteds had been burned – destroyed by some unknown force…” he said dramatically before pausing to let the image sink in. “Far up in the mountains, on the cold and shadowy northern slopes, they looked down on the sad remains of the tiny outpost, and they knew they needed to find out what had happened. Already they’d dispatched their fellows to bring together a work party to recover the oak from the lost wagons, but they needed answers – what if this threat spread? What of Renlen? And so they bravely forged ahead, farther from home and safety, closer to the unknown danger.”

Children shifted in their seats, some of them smiling, knowing what was coming next, while other, younger children sat still in wrapt attention, learning the details of the story for the first time.

“Yes, farther through the pass they went, encountering and exchanging arrows with an unknown figure who’d been tracking them, until the reached the exit from the mountains into the valley, where they were suddenly set upon by sentries – an ambush!”

“Yips and howls they heard, gnashing of great Wolfen teeth accompanied the volleys of arrows from their attackers. Quickly they responded, firing back and fighting on despite the vicious ambush and the damage they themselves took. One beast was shot dead, and after clever maneuvers by our men the other Wolfen was felled. But the danger was only increasing, as their loud cries – their call to war for the pack – had drawn the attention of the others, a mile away in the ruins of the town, and they were only minutes away. Flight! The men had to take flight back into the mountains, where they concealed themselves, and the next day snuck, cleverly, back into the valley, confirming the destruction of the town, the deaths of its residents, and the presence of more Wolfen and their Winter Worgs – their dreadful steeds….” the man pulled a carved image out of his pack, a wooden figure of a hunch-backed riding animal to show the children.

“They knew they were outmatched…outnumbered…and that they needed to warn Renlen, and so swiftly back through the pass they rode, seeking nothing but the southern slopes, and there met the recovery caravan, dispatching a rider to our town, and then – without rest of resupply for themselves – drove back into the pass with the teamsters, only to discover another problem, theretofore only hinted at by story and wild legend….”

A small hand went near the front of the group of children. The storyteller nodded to the little girl, encouraging her to speak.

“Is that when they found the Winter Folk?”

The storyteller flashed a sly, knowing grin. “Or did the Winter Folk find them?,” letting the question hang in the air.

a cold, windy night

Lacking the wagon and its roll-out shelter sides meant a cold night for the three men in the high pass. They were able to clear away enough snow, piling up some around the base of two close abandoned wagons, and did the best they could with what little they had. The wagons were in good enough to repair to move again, should they get some horses, and so dismantling or otherwise damaging them for wood to burn or use for a one-night shelter seemed like a bad idea. Plus, Morgren and Ezra, employees of the guild that owned an interest in them, wanted as little property damage as possible. 20 missing draft horses was already a high bill to pay.

Night fell, the temperature dropped to freezing, and a light wind came up, but fortunately not enough to keep them from lighting a fire. There was no food or other provisions or supplies left in the wagons, and so they had to make do with what they’d carried. Another task was ensuring some protection for their horses which, although thick in their own winter coats, were still shivering. Enough already-damaged canvas was cannibalized from the wagon covers to create makeshift blankets for the three animals, and along with the fire they were likely to make it through the night without much more than a chill – so long as the weather didn’t take a nasty turn.

The three divided watch duties and set about eating, sleeping. Wolves howled into the night as they tried to save the power of light and heat – their fire – as the wind picked up.

Daylight could not come soon enough for them, but given the season and their placement in the mountains, the night would be a long one. Good planning and vigilance, however, enabled them to get through to the next day and the slightest hint of a sunrise to the east.

Renli and Durghdar's Night

Night fell quickly, given the location of the rockslide heap and where the two men had set up camp. A purple-blue sky lasted only a little while, giving them just enough time to set up camp, light a fire, and scout enough of the area to feel at least somewhat secure.

“Meng, you see dat up dare?” asked Durghdar in a hushed voice, his brow furrowed in concern while he motioned toward a ledge halfway up a hill to their west. Renli, smart enough to not turn immediately to face whatever it was the man-at-arms had indicated took a moment before turning.

When he did caught a glimpse of a figure just before it moved out of sight – something probably man-sized, likely in furs, and watching them. Its skin was darker than that of most of the humans and all the half-elves he’d seen…maybe grey? Or perhaps blue? Maybe that was the fading light and shadows at work. Nevertheless, the figure disappeared and did not come out again, or could no longer be seen.

They’d have to be watchful that night – even more than just for the wolves that prowled these mountains in packs.

Hopefully the others were making progress and had found out something. Durghdar had spent some time on a hillside earlier, with an eye on what parts of the trail he could see, but he didn’t catch any glimpses of the others.

Meanwhile, Renli ensured that the fire was securely-lit and that the wagon’s shelter sides were properly staked down in anticipation of the possibility of a windy night.

although the clouds lack silver inlays

Ezra Clay, Kithkanen Wraithwind, Renli the dwarf, Morgren, and guild regulator made their way into the mountains, in search of answers. Reaching the Gates by nightfall on the first day, nothing seemed out of the ordinary until dark, when Kit noticed a distinct lack of wildlife signs north of the entry to the pass – the first two switchbacks were silent, seemingly devoid of life.

By just after mid-day on their second day away from town they’d made it almost to the apex of the pass, and were then stopped by the remains of a landslide that had blocked the pass, at least a week or so ago. The higher they went into the mountains the quieter it became, and the colder, with a few inches of partially frozen snow covering the ground and some ice on the few remaining trees. This portion of the pass was almost empty of trees, being above the timber line, and only alpine scrub and other small plants were scattered here and there. The cliffs and steep hills to their sides loomed overhead, making for perfect ambush sites or sources of rockslides.

Renli and the other guy stayed on the south side of the blocked road while the other three led their horses over the heap of rock, dirt, and snow, and headed higher into the mountains. No more than 30 minutes Kit came upon five large cargo wagons, sitting aside the road. Going into high alert, the three men crept up to the lifeless caravan and found evidence of a fight, at least a week in the past. No dead bodies, aside from one horse, with a large arrow piercing it’s heart, and no easily-portable cargo, either. Blood stains were here and there, but nothing so large as to suggest that someone died and bled out in or near one of the wagons. Depressions on the ground around the wagons – on both sides – suggested a party of bipeds did approach and surround them, but several days of light snowfall plus nightly freezes prevented any positive identification beyond that they were bipedal, and large man-sized, or maybe larger.

Aside from a bloodstain here or there, the other only evidence of a fight were some cuts in the wagons themselves and the single, dead horse, which had also been rudely butchered with claw and fang, leaving large, rough chunks of meat stripped from its left side.

While exploring the hills around the road, Morgren discovered a frozen brook running parallel to the pass, and obscured by a smooth, low ridge – making for a perfect means by which to shadow travelers and launch an ambush. While poking around there looking for any clues, he heard a voice – a muffled cry of the injured. Kit and Ezra quickly came to help investigate, while Morgren headed up the hillside to get a better view of things, and the cries continued, down the hill to their northwest. “Help…help me…” was heard, in strained Common. Watching, waiting, trying to find out the source – was it a threat or someone in need of help?

In the span of mere seconds, Kit could hear Ezra mumbling and pointing, and suddenly Kit heard those same mumblings, albeit louder, in succession at two points far in front of them, as if the other half-elf had thrown his voice. A reddish glow seemed to pour over and from his left hand as he spoke and pointed. Before Kit could process and respond to this all of them heard rustling to their front.

Morgren, from his high perch on the hillside, was the first to see the shadowy figure moving at high speed up the road, toward their horses, then tied at the lost caravan. Loosing an arrow at the thing – man-sized but hard to see in the deep shadows cast by the mountains to the west – he missed, but shouted and began running down the hillside, alerting the others. Kit reacted next, bounding over the ridge back toward the pass trail and firing his own arrow before dropping his bow and drawing his rapier as he closed with the thing. His shot landed true, piercing the left side of its chest and staggering it some.
The thing looked to have once been a man, but it was clearly dead, with grey-black skin, freakishly extended fingers and claws, and an elongated jaw filled with jagged, filthy teeth. Its stringy, matted hair was not very long, but wild and had dirt clumped in it. Its clothes were those of a traveler, but torn, rotted, and stained with age and exposure to the elements. What it was, no one knew.

The creature closed with Kit, moving at unnatural speed, and closely missed with its claws. Within melee range, Kit could smell the stench of death and frozen rot, and could see that it was not breathing – or, at best, that its body did nothing to warm any air it did take in. Ezra sprinted around to the thing’s side, shouting some guttural speech and gesticulating with one hand while drawing his dagger with the other. Once close enough to stab, Ezra instead continued his garbled mutterings and from his left hand shot a black-purple blast of darkness, slamming into the creature and knocking it a few feet to one side.

Kit, having dropped into the mindset of Hugh’s training, continued his attack, swinging at the thing with a rapier in each hand, striking home once with a deep cut to its abdomen. The thing’s rotten guts poured forth from the gaping cut, and it staggered to once side and dropped to the ground, seemingly defeated. The pounding of footsteps on the rocks and snow rose above their pounding hearts and heaving breathes – Morgren had reached them.

Just as Kit was above to slice the head off the thing, they all saw the spread of ice over it – as if it was growing a shell of dense ice. Kit dropped a large rock on its head, and the ice deflected it. Morgren placed his short sword on its neck and Kit gave the pommel a good whack with another rock to add weight, and the block only knocked a chunk off the growing shell. The two looked at each other, both trying to figure out a way to stop whatever was happening, and Ezra acted again, mumbling more guttural syllables and blasting it again with a ball of black-purple force, then turning to clean his mouth out with snow as the others took the opportunity of the cracked ice to behead the otherwise inert body. The ice, however, began to form again.

Not until they decided to light a fire using their tinder did they destroy it, with the fire melting the ice slightly, then quickly consuming the head and body once it reached the flesh. What is was, none could say, although it was very dead long before it had attacked them.

Standing in the waining light of their second day on road the three men were still feeling the heightened senses, and mental and physical power brought on by the adrenaline of the fight, and as it also started to wane, an unsettling set of questions came to the minds of both Kit and Morgren. Ezra had displayed powers of a rare, powerful, and troubling sort, and answers were needed…

“You’ve got some explaining to do, Ezra,” Morgren started, his hand moving reflexively and slightly back toward his sword’s hilt. Kit, without realizing it, had already stepped back and to one side, opening routes of movement around Ezra, as if he were already a foe – Hugh’s training had been relentless, meant to drill into his pupil reactions that could not be considered in advance, or the benefit of time would be lost.

The silence of the mountains surrounded them as dusk quickly turned darker: three men facing each other, or perhaps facing off against each other.

Characters & Setting

Meta
All of your are from Lineon, the northwestern province of Ahris, in some way or another. The Warlock is the least rooted there, but has spent all his time there since coming off the boat from the Old Realm not too long ago. Marstabashan in the provincial capitol, and a major seaport, and that’s where he landed before heading west on land.

Marstabashan is about two weeks’ travel by road, of which the first week is pretty rough, as Renlen is way out west. There is a major river separating the eastern, coastal portion of the province from the western half, where Renlen is situated. This river, the Tyragh (TEE-rog) is wide, fast, and cold, coming down from the northern mountains that form the limits of the colonies. The land, overall, is forested and hilly, with natural meadows common enough to make small to medium-sized farming possible with some extra clearing. There are also a number of smaller rivers and lakes west of the Tyragh. Finally, the terrain west of the river slowly rises in elevation to the NW, ending in the foothills of the Sconay Range.

I’ll add some secrets for each of you, and based on this information and, if you want, those too, respond and expand on your backgrounds and why you were in Renlen, and the general area, below.

"That caravan's more than just furs and oak, you know..."

Dahr Morleigh had just about run out of options by the time the friendly, oddly-forthright dwarf marched through his office door, offering the solution he needed. Late Fall was a precarious time for the town, with so much commercial activity and profit hanging in the balance during a relatively short period of time. Trade had to take place during this window if people, in both Renlen and the surrounding hamlets and farmsteds, were to get the supplies they needed for the coming winter, which by all accounts was likely to be a harsh one. The missing caravans – 3 of them! – represented a sizable blow to those efforts.

Morleigh recognized the dwarf as a cleric of Aiomaedyn, and by the symbols he wore he might well be the genuine article – with powers provided by his deity. Morleigh had seen a few of those over the years and he still had to pinch himself sometimes as a reminder that this was real and that he truly lived in interesting times. The Academy had taught him all the finer skills of management and law, and drilled into him a healthy respect for process, structure, and tradition. And yet like most boys he imagined excitement and the unexpected, while also dreading it as a challenge to the stability that the Realm worked so hard to maintain.

And yet here it was: change and the potential for chaos it brought. He shook the thought away as the dwarf presented his idea. His two half-elf companions were mostly silent. The Dahr knew of Kit, a local Warden and guide, but he’d never seen the other half-elf before.

After some discussion, the Dahr decided to support the three as best he could.

“I can supply you with a wagon, two horses, and two men to accompany you. Find out what’s happened, where those shipments are, and the status of Amaschat, as well.” After a brief pause to let his words sink in, he added, “a grateful town and a reward from the merchants’ guild will await your successful return.”

Cultural note: it’s considered very bad form to negotiate or even ask about what is probably a monetary reward. A “grateful town” typically means a potluck-like collection of goods and services provided by prominent members of a given community, such as free lodging at an inn for a certain period of time, the store providing additional provisions free of charge, and other rewards. Given that most rural communities are relatively cash-poor, the provision of goods & services as rewards is common. However, Morleigh’s mention of a reward implies actual money, too.

Meta
I’d like to start next session at least on the road to the pass, if not farther along. Don’t worry about listing provisions – you’re being supplied with enough for a week for all five of the party, and that’s all packed in the wagon. There isn’t much else around in terms of esoteric stuff – healing potions aren’t available, for example – so only bother listing something if it’s unusual.

Otherwise use this post to plan, ask questions, and get things rolling.